Guidance on Preparing Nitrogen Management Plans for Mines Using Ammonium Nitrate Fuel Oil Products for Blasting
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Technical Guidance 9 Environmental Management Act Guidance on Preparing Nitrogen Management Plans for Mines using Ammonium Nitrate Fuel Oil Products for Blasting Version 1.0 February 2018 Environmental Protection Division Guidance on Preparing Nitrogen Management Plans for Mines using Ammonium Nitrate Fuel Oil Products for Blasting Contents 1.0 Introduction ...................................................................................................................................... 3 2.0 Nitrogen in the Environment ............................................................................................................ 3 3.0 Storage of Explosives ........................................................................................................................ 4 4.0 Waste Disposal and Discharges to the Environment ........................................................................ 4 5.0 Recommended Nitrogen Management Plan Content ...................................................................... 6 Table 1. Suggested Content for Nitrogen Management Plans at a Mine Site .......................................... 7 6.0 References ...................................................................................................................................... 11 Appendix A – General Overview of Ammonium Nitrate Fuel Oil ............................................................... 12 2 | P a g e February 2018 Guidance on Preparing Nitrogen Management Plans for Mines using Ammonium Nitrate Fuel Oil Products for Blasting 1.0 Introduction Nitrogen compounds (ammonia, nitrate and nitrite) are often released on mine sites during the detonation of nitrogen-based explosives, including Ammonium Nitrate Fuel Oil (ANFO) which is commonly used for blasting at mine sites in British Columbia and around the world. In order to protect the receiving environment from impacts related to the release of these nitrogen compounds, management of nitrogen-based explosives during the storage, handling, transporting, bore-hole loading, and detonating phases of blasting and management of surface water runoff from mine areas may be necessary at some mines sites. Approaches to prevent the contamination of surface water and groundwater with ammonia, nitrate and nitrite as well as reduce the production of toxic gases, should be proactively planned and implemented at mine sites. The intent of this document is to serve as a guide to be used when developing a site- specific nitrogen management plan either as a proactive step initiated by a mine owner or in response to fulfilling a regulatory requirement (i.e. a condition in a permit under either the Environmental Management Act (EMA) or the Mines Act (MA)). Under authority of EMA, a Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy (ENV) Statutory Decision Maker may establish limits for nitrogen compounds in the receiving environment, set requirements for authorized discharges or establish additional conditions to ensure protection of the environment. As part of an EMA permit, a Statutory Decision Maker can require a mine owner to submit a Nitrogen Management Plan. The Plan is meant to be the vehicle for identifying the specific management measures needed to ensure permit limits/conditions will be met. 2.0 Nitrogen in the Environment ANFO (see Appendix A for more information on ANFO) can cause deleterious environmental effects in both detonated and undetonated states. In high-moisture settings, detonation of ANFO can be inefficient, leading to incomplete combustion and toxic residuals. The undetonated ammonium nitrate (AN) is highly water-soluble and can result in releases of nitrate, nitrite and ammonia into the environment, including both surface water and groundwater. Dissolution of AN is a common issue affecting the detonation performance of ANFO and, depending on site-specific conditions, can lead to environmental issues from the releases of nitric oxide (NO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), carbon monoxide (CO) and methane (CH4) due to poorly detonated ANFO. According to some literature sources, this dissolution can happen very quickly, as 25% of nitrates can leach from the explosives after 6 minutes of exposure to moisture, and 50% after a one-hour exposure. Following the loss of 25% of nitrates, the ANFO will not be able to properly detonate. While nitrogen in a well-oxygenated aquatic environment, in the form of the nitrate ion (NO3-), is an important nutrient to aquatic plants, excess nitrogen compounds including 3 | P a g e February 2018 Guidance on Preparing Nitrogen Management Plans for Mines using Ammonium Nitrate Fuel Oil Products for Blasting nitrate, nitrite and ammonia can potentially harm receptors in the receiving environment. Depending on how they are managed, the use of explosives at a mine site can cause the release of large quantities of nitrogen compounds and increase the risk of impacts. Potential effects of rising nitrate levels include algal blooms, reduced oxygen and eutrophication of surface water bodies. Though nitrates are significantly less toxic to freshwater aquatic life than ammonia or nitrite, elevated levels of nitrates may still be toxic. In addition, effects to humans may occur: risk of nitrate toxicity, usually from elevated levels of nitrates in contaminated well water, is higher for infants younger than 4 months, and ammonia can also impact human health. Fuel oil wicking from the blasthole is another common problem leading to poor detonation and the associated AN release issues noted above as well as direct environmental issues from the release of fuel oil. If hydrocarbon fuels in the “diesel- fuel” range are used in the ANFO mixture the fuel oil component has moderate volatility and moderate solubility. These diesel-range fuel products may be acutely toxic to biota, depending on the precise type of fuel and the concentration of aromatic compounds, though in general acute toxicity will be moderate to high. Less potentially harmful mineral oils can also be used as the fuel oil component in ANFO. 3.0 Storage of Explosives The minimum requirements for siting, construction, equipment standards, safety, operation and licensing of explosive facilities are regulated under the Explosives Act (Canada) and the Health, Safety and Reclamation Code for Mines in British Columbia (the Code). Guidance for meeting the federal Explosives Act requirements are provided in the Natural Resources Canada Guidelines for Bulk Explosives Facilities G05-01 February 2014 document. This Nitrogen Management Plan guidance document is not intended to replace or duplicate the requirements of the above mentioned documents. For completeness, a Nitrogen Management Plan should describe the actions taken to meet regulatory requirements that contribute to meeting nitrogen management goals (i.e., siting an explosive facility away from any water sources). 4.0 Waste Disposal and Discharges to the Environment Effluent discharges from a mine site to the receiving environment are authorized by permits issued under the EMA. Some effluent streams may contain nitrogen compounds including: pit water, water runoff from waste rock, surface water runoff at explosive facilities, wash bays used for decontaminating explosive mobile equipment and waste soil recovered from spill sites. Water management activities on the mine site are regulated under the EMA, the MA, and the Code. Contaminant sources on mine sites are required to have planned water 4 | P a g e February 2018 Guidance on Preparing Nitrogen Management Plans for Mines using Ammonium Nitrate Fuel Oil Products for Blasting management and pollution control works and apply best management practices. (See Joint Mines Act/Environmental Management Act Permit Application Information Requirements Guidance Document1, Section 5) Effluent and air emissions from explosives facilities are potential sources of nitrogen releases to the environment and therefore discharges to the receiving environment needs to be regulated by an EMA permit. Surface water runoff management, spill contingency and water monitoring at explosive facilities are regulated by MA and EMA permits, as well as wash water and sump sediment disposal from where explosive mobile equipment are washed. Under the Natural Resources Canada Guidelines for Bulk Explosives Facilities G05-01 February 2014 document “scrap” explosive is defined in two key places. First, there is the residual explosive (“heel”) which is collected from inside mobile explosive equipment that is used to transport product to the blast holes. This is a form of scrap explosive which, when collected, is a viable explosive product. The federal guidance document outlines that it can be bagged, labelled and stored with other explosives for future blasting. Secondly, there is type of scrap explosive which is collected from the washing and decontamination of mobile equipment in the explosive facility wash bays. The disposal of scrap explosive from the “washing systems” is to be authorized by the province. Under the Hazardous Waste Regulation it is the responsibility of the waste generator to classify its waste. Hazardous waste is not authorized for discharge under EMA effluent discharge permits. Because effluent from washing explosive trucks will contain nitrates and nitrites as well as other products and waste characteristics at levels that could potentially exceed hazardous waste thresholds it is recommended that mines retain Qualified Professionals to screen wash bay wastes against the Hazardous Waste Regulation. Wash